Direction-indicator fob automobiles



L. RANIERI'. A n'lafcnowlmmcmo foRAuoMoILEs.

APPLICATION FILED APR; 16. 19.19.

jlgosggn y Patented-NOVA, 191.9,-

` INVENTQR razones.

Louis A, A Lrrnnr, or sAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

DIRECTION-INDICATOR ronAUroivroBItns. l

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patenten NWA, raie.

Application led April 16, 1.4919. Serial No.. 290,409.

To all whom t may concern:

\ Be it known that I, Lon-rs A. ALTIERI, a. citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of San Francisco and State of'California, have invented new and useful improvements in Directionlndicators for Automobiles, of which' the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a direction indi- Cator for automobiles.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a direction indicator adapted to be used upon vehicles and by which the intended course of travel of the vehicle may be indicated, and which device is simple in its operation, will automatically operate to illuminate an indicating semaphore when aV signaling position is desired and is so 'designed as to be useful either in -the daytlme or at night to perform its indlcatmg function.l

The present invention contemplates Vthe use of a central Cylindrical lamp house,

around the body portion-of which two semaphores. are adapted to swing in opposite directions, said'semaphores being actuated by control means which will permlt'them to be separately or simultaneously rnoved to a signaling position and to be Vautomatically illuminated when reaching this-position.-

The invention is illustrated by way of eX- ample in the accompanying drawings, in

4 'which- Figure 1 is a view in elevation, showing` the indicator as signaling for a right-hand turn and further indicating by dotted'lines the position ofthe left-hand signal.

Fig. 2 is a view in vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the, details'of construction of the lamp house and the semaphores.

Fig. 3 is a view in horizontal section on4 the line 3--3 of Fig. 1, showlng .the manner in which the lamp house and semaphores coperate to permit the illumination of the 'semaphores green.

Fig. .4 1s a view invperspective illustrating the arrangement of the lamp house.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged View' in vertical sec# tion, showing the operating mechanismof one of the push-buttons -by which a semaphore is controlled.

Referring'A more particularly to the drawings, 10 indicates al cylindrical lamp house,

here shown as losing of a single diameter throughout its interlor and being formed exteriorly'withreduced 'end portions 11 and 12. These endv portions are separated by an intermediate enlarged flange A13.` The reduced end portions are adapted to receive the circular hub of indica-ting. semaphores 14 and 15. These semaphores are preferably formed vof sheet metal `and are hollow, as clearly indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. The front of each semaphore is open and is closed by. means of a transparent screen 16, upon which suitable indicia is inscribed.

n the present instance this indicia is Stop and is printed inthe manner to be readily read either in the daytime or atnight when illuminated.

The :head 'portions 17 and 18 of the semaphores Maand 15, respecl l tively, are formed with slotted openings 19 at one side in their circumference. These openings are adapted to register. separately with openings 20 and 21' formed throufrh the reduced portions of the lamp house ;`t e v registering operation taking place only.

when the semaphore arm' is standing in its horizontal signaling position. Due to this arrangement the semaphore -arms may 'be illuminated, when signaling, by means of ai lamp 22 secured to an end member 23 which is fixed in the end of the lamp house. The end member 23 is secured to a bracket 24 by which it may be conveniently mounted upon the vehicle.

Operation of the semaphore arms is intended to be produced fromthe dashboard ofthe vehicle and for that'reas'on each arm of the semaphore is fitted with a lug 27, by which the semaphore may be rotated around the body portion of the lamp house and which will dispose the semaphore arms Y in their illuminated position; it being understood that the arms are' only illuminated when 4standing horizontally'. While a name plate 25 is intended to be continuously illu` minated by means of the lam 22 as it shines through a slotted opening 2.6 ormed through the collar 13 of the lamp housefgfurther illumination of the direction indicator is afforded bymeans of a colored glass 9 which is secured in the outer opened end of the lamp house, and which will light at all times. l

The ears 27 are each secured to'operating cables, here shown as cables 28and 29. These cables are preferably led through a flexible serve as a tail conduit 30; Which'is led to the dashboard 31 of the vehicle and from which point the 'semaphore arms are operated.

' operates onesemaphore arm and -the other piunger is provided toactuatethe otherarm.. Arp annular groove 34 is formedaround the 'As shown in Fig. 5, the dash-board of the vehicle is fitted with :the Inountings 32,

' through which-thc ends of the cables 28 and. 29-are led.l lt is preferable that tWo sleeves be provided, each of which is'tted withv a slidable plunger 33. @ne of the 'plungers endl of each plunger and is adapted to be .engaged by'a yieldable spring 35, which will normally hold the plungers 33 in their outermost positions. This will also support the plungers so that the semaphores willy both.

beheld in vertical positions and Will be easily influenced by the action of' the cables upon the lugs of each semaphore arm.

` ln the operation of the present invention, i

itis Aassumed that both the plungers 33 are in the position indicated by full lines in Fig.

5. lf it is intended to turn to the right, the driver pulls outwardly on' the right-hand plunger, and this will draw the cable QS-to allow the semaphore arm 14 to 'move to its horizontal position shown in Fig. l.

As the semaphore'arm moves to its horizontal position the opening 1 9 in itsv hub will .register with the opening 21 in the lamprhouse, and this will cause the rays of the lamp to pass out through the tubular 'semaphorearm and illuminate the screens 16.' When the course of the vehicle isagain straight ahead the semaphore arml 'i4 is raised to its original non-signaling position by 'pushing upon the plungerjarm 33 `and swinging this rightfhand plunger from the dotted line position shown in Fig. 5 to its original long position. ln the event that fullstop isdes'ired, the plungers33 may 'both be forced inwardly and will cause both of ythe arms 14 and l5 to fall horizontally in Kline and in position to become illuminated. When thepresent invention is used inthe day time, there is no need for illumination,

vehicle. 'lt will thus be seen that the device here as either of the signs may be readily observed and movement understood-to indicate the vintended direction of travel of the disclosed is entirely devoid-of complicated .insonne operating mechanism, and that, in its pres ent form will be easy to manufacture, simple4 as to manufacturing costs, and7 when installed, iwill operate without objectional `breakage or the requirements for repairs and renewals, as is the case with many indicators of this type.

`While l have shown the preferred form of my invention,`as -now lrnown to me, it

will-.be understood thatvarious changes in the combination, construction and arrangement of'parts may be vmade by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed. l Having thus described my invention, what 'l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A direction indicator comprising a cylindrical radially slotted lamp-hou'se, a pair of semaphore arms independent sleeves carrying the'V arms and mounted to rotate around said house,v voperating means forselectively swinging said semaphore arms from their pivotal mounting upon the lamp-house, and means whereby movement of the semaphore arms from a non-signaling to a signaling po- -to an indicating position, a fixed number plateexposed. tothe light through a slotv in the lamp housmand means to turn either of the sleeves and arms to an indicating posi-1 tion. i

ln testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Louis tapa-Umani.

Witnesses: I'

vv. w. HEALEY, 'JOHN H. ,Hmmm 

